Thousands support Zuma at trial

Three-thousand South Africans demonstrated yesterday in support of the former deputy president Jacob Zuma on the first day of his trial on rape charges.

Squads of riot police controlled the sometimes rowdy crowd, closing off the street in front of Johannesburg high court and separating about 50 women's rights activists protesting against rape.

Mr Zuma, 63, is charged with raping a 31-year-old Aids activist and longtime family friend in November last year. He denies the charge.

At the opening of the trial yesterday, the presiding judge, Bernard Ngoepe, said he would step down from the high-profile case after Mr Zuma's lawyers had called for him to withdraw, arguing that his impartiality was in question because he had issued warrants for police to search Mr Zuma's home and his lawyer's office in a separate corruption case.

Judge Ngoepe said although he was worried a leading politician would be seen to have the power to choose who judged him, he felt the need to avoid even the semblance of bias was paramount.

Mr Zuma is due stand trial on two corruption charges in July. The rape and corruption charges have badly dented his ambitions to succeed President Thabo Mbeki.